Huawei has become the world's largest smartphone provider for the first time, analysts estimate.
It reached first place shipping 55.8 million devices in the last quarter, surpassing Samsung's 53.7 million.
The report comes from the analysis company Canalys, who called the change "notable".
The fact that China exited the pandemic blockade before other countries is indicated as the reason for Huawei's success.
Huawei phones have also struggled to appeal to western markets because they don't have apps made on Google, which are banned due to U.S. trade restrictions.
His new dominance is primarily driven by his impressive home sales in China.
Shipments overseas are currently down 27% for the company, but Canalys estimates that it now sells over 70% of all smartphones in mainland China.
"This is an extraordinary achievement that few people would have expected a year ago," said Canalys analyst Ben Stanton.
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The company also pointed out that the coronavirus pandemic hit Samsung's shipments hard, causing them to drop by about 30%. This made it easier for the Chinese market - which emerged earlier from the blockade - to dominate the rankings.
"If it wasn't for Covid-19, it wouldn't have happened," said Stanton. "Huawei has taken full advantage of the Chinese economic recovery to rekindle the smartphone business."
"First place is very important for Huawei," added his colleague Mo Jia.
"It is desperate to show the strength of your brand to home consumers, component suppliers and developers."
The lack of integration with Google's famous apps on Huawei phones is likely to put off some smartphone buyers. The U.S. trade restrictions indicate that Google cannot partner with Huawei to add them.
This means that Google Maps, YouTube, Google Play Store and other apps displayed as standard on most Android devices are simply not available by normal means.
Huawei responded by building its own app store solution, which according to The Register now has around 81,000 apps aimed at Westerners and over 70 million European users.
But it's unclear how many of those users are people with access to the Google App Store and how many are using Huawei's App Gallery as the only source of new apps.
Analysts predict that Huawei's hold on the first place will be temporary. The phone maker's numbers are actually dropping 5% globally and Samsung is likely to recover from its poorest results in that quarter.
A spokesman for Huawei, however, said the company "has shown exceptional resistance in these difficult times."
"In a period of slowdown and unprecedented global economic challenges, we have continued to grow and increase our leadership position by providing innovative products and experience to consumers."
